Get ready Denver, Love is Blind airs tomorrow and features our great city. We also saw a new ice cream chain open in Aurora, and a hip rooftop lounge launch in Colorado Springs. Denver’s ultimate sake festival is coming, and if you like baked goods, you will want to head to the Denver Bake Fest on Saturday.
Read on for more top news stories and send us any tips via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com.
The 411
The hip Netflix show Love is Blind takes place in Denver this season, and we predicted what places might make it on the show. Any ideas? Share them!
According to the Denver Post, the next Buc-ee’s travel center may be in the city of Lamar, which is currently pitching itself for the honor. The news comes from Kirk Crespin, the mayor of Lamar, who posted a letter on Facebook to Buc-ee’s President and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, asking him to consider Lamar for the next Colorado location.
Openings and Closings In the News
Little Finch is growing, adding a new location in CSU Spur education center at the National Western Center at 4777 National Western Dr., located in the Hydro building. The counter-service café officially opens on Wednesday, October 1.
After three years, the Denver-based Hearth Bakery will expand into Historic Downtown Littleton at 5610 S. Curtice St, this fall. The artisan bakery already has locations in RiNo, Uptown, and Highland. This marks the company’s first venture outside of Denver proper, but will include the same great pastry line up and coffee program as the others. The Littleton bakery also features a full kitchen under the guidance of chef Andrew Van Stee, with a developing food menu and potential plans for alcoholic beverages.
The Hearth team also currently operates Tablón Coffee Roasters in Denver’s Virginia Village neighborhood, which opened in January 2023. With the launch of the Littleton location the shop will close and the entire Tablón team will relocate to the Littleton cafe.
Aurora welcomed Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, a tried and true ice cream shop from Ohio into the culinary mix. The 80-year-old chain launched its first Colorado location in the Southlands shopping center at 23955 E. Plaza Ave. in Aurora. The franchise here is owned by local Ben Pham, who used to work at a pho restaurant in the same venue. Customers can choose from 48 staple flavors and many more seasonal mixes too. Think taro, frosted animal cookie, mint chip, pumpkin pie, vegan mango sorbet, and so many more.
Shucking Good Hospitality plans to open Ash + Agave in the former Cherry Creek location of California Pizza Kitchen. The restaurant group also owns Blue Island Oyster Bar and Oliver’s Italian. When the California Pizza Kitchen closed this past summer, it was the last iteration of the chain in Colorado. Ash + Agave will be a Mexican Riviera-inspired restaurant with fresh seafood, wood grilled meats, housemade tortillas, and agave-forward cocktails.
RYZE Skyline Lounge is now open in Colorado Springs. The rooftop cocktail lounge resides on top of the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Colorado Springs. Featuring panoramic views of Pikes Peak, The Garden of the Gods and the surrounding Front Range, the design-forward space offers inviting indoor and outdoor seating serving great drinks and bites.
After 15 years of serving award-winning beers in Fort Collins, Funkwerks is saying goodbye to its beloved taproom. The final day of service will be November 2, and the brewery plans to go out with one last celebration to honor the community and its legacy.
On the Menu
All of October, which starts tomorrow, guests of FIRE Restaurant and Lounge can enjoy bottomless Mimosas or sparkling rosé for just $20 per person with the purchase of a brunch entree. You can even upgrade to J Vineyards Sparkling for $42 per person. The deal runs during Saturday and Sunday brunch, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Original announced its Pancake of the Month for October, and as you may have guessed, it’s all about pumpkin. The three-pancake stack comes topped with cream cheese frosting and is available October 1 through 31.
Events
On Friday, October 3, in celebration of Taylor Swift’s engagement and her 12th studio album, Rare Bird, located atop Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek, is gearing up for an epic dance party. Join the fun from 3 to 11 p.m., and enjoy the DJ spinning every Swift song, themed cocktails, friendship bracelet making, and a costume contest with prizes. The prize for best Taylor-inspired look will be a $100 gift card for Local Jones, and the most spot-on impersonation of her latest era will receive a vinyl copy of “The Life of a Showgirl” and a record player, the same ones found in the guestrooms at Halcyon. No tickets are required, but RSVPs are encouraged here.
Little did we know that October 3 is also National Mean Girls Day, and Not a Damn Chance Burger (NADC) is hosting a free outdoor movie screening of the film. The evening kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with Mean Girls trivia hosted by Denver Trivia League, where winners can score NADC merch or gift cards, followed by the film at 6:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy burgers, fries, sodas, canned beers, and signature cocktails from an NADC outdoor bar and grill, including the $6 special “Plastics Punch,” a pink cocktail created just for the night. No tickets are required. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair, grab a burger and a drink, and join the fun.
The ultimate sake festival is coming this weekend! Dubbed Denver Queen City Sake Fest, the event runs Saturday, October 4 from 12 to 4 p.m., with the first hour for VIP ticket holders. Hosted by Finn’s Manor, guests can taste over 100 sakes and learn about them from the experts. There will also be bites from Uchi, Pig and Tiger, Peko Peko, Cherry Hills Sushi Co, and Takeo-San Takeout. Each ticket comes with a hand-crafted O’baware sake cup, which you can take home. Get tickets here.
Denver Bake Fest is back for the third year, hosted by and held at Rebel Bread on Saturday, October 4. The celebration of baking features six all-new contest categories, and marks the opening of Rebel Bread’s new café and teaching kitchen. Nearly 100 bakers are expected to compete. It’s free to attend, and you can buy tickets for the baked goods.
Support local teens while enjoying an elegant evening curated by chef Rand Packer and his culinary team at Evoke 1923 in Evergreen on Tuesday, October 7 at 5 p.m. Begin with a cocktail hour featuring handcrafted libations and passed hors d’oeuvres, followed by a four-course dinner with wine pairings. The night includes inspiring youth speakers, updates on Resilience1220’s new initiatives, a wine pull, and a paddle raise, all in support of their mission to help teens navigate life’s emotional and mental health challenges. Complimentary valet provided. Reserve your seat here.
Explore Tennyson presents the return of the 10th Annual Tennyson Fall Fest on October 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The free, community celebration brings together more than 100 local businesses, breweries, artisans, and food purveyors along Tennyson Street from West 41st to West 43rd Avenues. Throughout the day attendees can enjoy activities such as live music, group yoga, a pet parade and other family-friendly fun.
